February 29 - Famous Birthdays - On This Day On This Day Famous Birthdays on February 29 Full Calendar 1468 Paul III, last Renaissance Pope (1534-49) 1692 Edward Cave, England, printer (Gentlemen's Magazine) 1692 John Byrom, English poet (d. 1763) 1696 Esprit Antoine Blanchard, French composer, born in Pernes (d. 1770) 1724 Eva Marie Veigel, ballet dancer and wife of actor David Garrick (d. 1822) 1728 Robert Bage, English writer (Criticism by Peter Faulkner) Person of Interest 1736 Ann Lee , American founder of the Shakers, born in Manchester, England (d.

1784) Founder of the Shakers 1784 Franz KL von Klenze, German architect (Hermitage, St-Petersburg) 1792 Gioacchino Rossini, Pesaro Italy, composer (Barber of Seville) 1792 Karl Ernst von Baler, Russia, naturalist (discovered human ovum) 1796 [Lambert] Adolphe J Quetelet, Belgian astronomer/meteorology 1812 Hermann Hirschboch, German composer 1812 Sir James Wilson, Premier of Tasmania (d. 1880, also on 29 February) 1820 Adolf Schimon, composer 1828 Antonio Guzman Blanco, president Venezuela Person of Interest 1840 John Philip Holland , Liscannor Ireland, father of the modern submarine Engineer 1852 Frank Gavan Duffy, Australian judge (d.

1936) 1860 Herman Hollerith, inventor (1st electric tabulating machine) 1884 Alfred Sendrey, composer 1892 Augusta Savage (Fells), Green Cove Springs Florida, African-American sculptor and equal rights advocate 1896 Omer C F L Tulippe, Belgian geographer 1896 Ranchhodji Morarji Desai, premier of India (1977-79) 1896 Stanley Swash, CEO (Woolworths) 1896 William W Wellman, director (Star is Born), born in Brookline, Massachusetts 1896 Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, composer 1904 Alan Richardson, composer 1904 Jimmy Dorsey, Shenandoah Pa, orchestra leader (Stage Show) 1904 John "Pepper" Martin, baseballer (NL stolen base leader 1933,34,36) 1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolf

eschlegelsteinhausen 1904 Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian dancer and founder of Kalakshetra (d.

1986) 1908 Alf Gover, cricketer (bowled in 4 Tests for England/famous coach) 1908 Balthus, painter (Valerie) 1920 Arthur Franz, Perth Amboy NJ, actor (Invaders From Mars, Young Lions) 1920 James Mitchell, actor (Palmer-All My Children), born in Sacramento, California 1920 Louise Wood, director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72) 1920 Michèle Morgan, French actress (Passage to Marseille), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine (d. 2016) 1920 Ivan Petrov, Russian operatic bass (d. 2003) 1924 David Beattie, British governor-general of NZ 1924 Otto Hutter, physiologist 1924 Al Rosen, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians) and baseball executive, born in Spartanburg, South Carolina (d. 2015) 1928 Alan Loveday, New Zealand and British violinist, born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (d.

2016) 1928 Joss Ackland, actor (Queenie, To Kill a Priest), born in London, England 1928 McHenry Boatwright, signer 1928 Terry Lewis, Australian police commissioner 1928 Tempest Storm, American burlesque performer 1932 Gavin Stevens, cricket (Australian bat on 59-60 India/Pakistan tour) 1932 Jaguar, Brazilian cartoonist 1932 Gene Golub, American mathematician (d. 2007) 1932 Masten Gregory, American F1 Driver (d. 1985) 1932 Reri Grist, African-American coloratura soprano 1936 Alex Rocco, American actor (The Godfather, The Famous Teddy Z), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d.

2015) 1936 Alwin Schockemohle, Germany, equestrian jumper (Olympic-gold-1976) Person of Interest 1936 Jack R Lousma, Col USMC/astronaut (Skylab 3, STS-3), born in Grand Rapids Michigan 1940 Gretchen Christopher, British(?) pop singer 1940 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople 1944 David Briggs, record producer 1944 Phyllis Frelich, Devil's Lake ND, actor (Love is Never Silent) 1944 Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Italian illustrator 1944 Ene Ergma, Estonian politician 1944 Dennis Farina, actor (Get Shorty, Law & Order, Crime Story), born in Chicago, Illinois (d.

2013) 1948 Nikolai Pimenov, USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976) 1948 Patricia [Anne] McKillip, US, sci-fi author (Fool's Run) 1948 Yuri Pimenov, USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976) 1948 Jirō Akagawa, Japanese novelist 1952 Bart Stupak, (Rep-D-Michigan) 1952 Raisa Smetanina, USSR, cross country skier (Olympic-gold-1976, 80, 92) 1952 Raul Gonzalez, Mexican 50K speed walker (world record) 1952 Tim[othy] Powers, American sci-fi author (Last Call, Declare), born in Buffalo, New York 1952 Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, American television personality 1956 Randy Jackson, rocker (Zebra-I Don't Know, I Don't Care) 1956 Jonathan Coleman, Anglo-A

ustralian entertainer 1956 Bob Speller, Canadian politician 1956 Aileen Wuornos, American serial killer (d.

2002) 1956 J.

Randy Taraborrelli, American celebrity journalist 1960 Ian McKenzie Anderson, British musician 1960 Khaled, Algerian raï musician 1960 Tony Robbins, American motivational speaker 1960 Richard Ramirez, El Paso, Texas, serial killer (Night Stalker) 1964 Henrik Sundstrom, Sweden, tennis star 1964 James RB Ogilvy, son of English princess Alexandra 1964 Jahred Shane, Afro-Brazilian rapper/singer of Hed PE 1968 Bryce Paup, NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills) 1968 Cary Conklin, NFL quarterback (SF 49ers) 1968 Chucky Brown, NBA forward (Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks) 1968 Gonzalo Lira, Chilean-American novelist 1968 Pete Fenson, American curler 1968 Naoko Iijima, Japanese actress 1968 Eugene Volokh, American law professor 1968 Frank Woodley, Australian comedian 1972 Antonio Sabato Jr, actor (Jagger Cates-General Hospital) 1972

 Chris Devine, Allentown Pa, diver (Olympics-96) 1972 Cyrus Beasley, Rowe NY, rower (Olympics-1996) 1972 Fabien Bownes, NFL wide receiver (Chicago Bears) 1972 Mark Farraway, CFL offensive linebacker (Edmonton Eskimos) 1972 Dave Williams, American singer (Drowning Pool) (d.

2002) 1976 Bryan Gillooly, Auburn NY, diver (Olympics-96) Person of Interest IMDb: Most Popular People Born On February 29 Most Popular People Born On February 29 1-50 of 296 names. Sort by: STARmeter▲ | A-Z | Height | Birth Date | Death Date 1. Michèle Morgan Actress, The Fallen Idol A classic beauty, blonde French actress Michèle Morgan has been one of her country's most popular leading ladies for over five decades. Born in 1920, she studied acting under René Simon and began her career at 15 working as a film extra to pay for drama classes. The young actress soon caught the eye of director Marc Allégret ... 2. Jessie T. Usher Actor, Independence Day: Resurgence Born a leap year child he excelled academically from elementary through high school as a top honor student. He graduated class salutatorian before moving straight to the Dean's List in college, studying the Art Of Culinary and earning the honor of being a member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society... 3.

Joss Ackland Actor, Lethal Weapon 2 Joss Ackland, the distinguished English actor who has appeared in over 100 movies, scores of plays and a plethora of television programs in his six-decade career, was born Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland on February 29, 1928, in North Kensington, London. After attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama... 4. Peter Scanavino Actor, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 5. Dennis Farina Actor, Snatch Dennis Farina was one of Hollywood's busiest actors and a familiar face to moviegoers and television viewers alike. Recently, he appeared in the feature films, "The Grand," a comedy about a Vegas poker tournament with Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines and Ray Romano; "Bottle Shock," also starring Alan Rickman... 6. Antonio Sabato Jr. Actor, General Hospital 7. Caitlin E.J. Meyer Actress, The Christmas Project Caitlin E.J. Meyer was born in Utah. She was born on a leap year, February 29th. She has seven siblings.

She resides in Utah where she is studying Psychology and plans to graduate in the winter of 2013. The stage and screen have been a big part of her life. Some of her favorite roles include, Juliet, Anne Frank, and Little Fan. 8. Alex Rocco Actor, The Godfather Tough and volatile-looking Italianate character actor Alex Rocco was born in Boston and spent time training with such notable teachers as Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Corey to curb his thick Boston accent. In Hollywood from 1963, he worked as a bartender during the lean years and began his TV career in the late 60s... 9. Dinah Shore Self, Dinah! Her real name was Frances "Fanny" Rose Shore, and she was born in Winchester, Tennessee. Stricken with polio at 18 months of age, she recovered after receiving the Sister Kenny treatment. She became a cheerleader at Hume-Fogg High School in Nashville and went on to graduate from Vanderbilt University in 1938... 10. Ja Rule Actor, The Fast and the Furious 11.

Ken Foree Actor, Dawn of the Dead Large, likable, and muscular actor Ken Foree was born as Kentotis Alvin Foree on February 29, 1948, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Foree attended Loyola University in Chicago and studied acting at Michael Shulman's Performing Gallery in New York City. He began his career in off-Broadway theater and worked as an assistant manager at a restaurant in Greenwich Village... 12. Anthony Robbins Self, Shallow Hal 13. Suanne Braun Actress, A Royal Winter Suanne made her professional debut in 1988 working as a TV presenter in her native South Africa. For five years, she hosted a travel series "Bon Voyage" which afforded her the opportunity of visiting over 36 countries and saw her winning her first award for excellence in television. Numerous TV specials followed including presenting the Miss World Pageant twice in 1992 and 1994... 14. William A.

Wellman Director, A Star Is Born William Wellman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter-director of the original A Star Is Born , was called "Wild Bill" during his World War I service as an aviator, a nickname that persisted in Hollywood due to his larger-than-life personality and lifestyle. A leap-year baby born in 1896 on the 29th of February in Brookline... 15. Arthur Franz Actor, The Caine Mutiny Arthur Sofield Franz was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to Dorothy and Gustave Franz, German immigrants. He was a reliable character actor in many '40s and '50s "B" pictures, often cast as a friendly small-town businessman or professional (as in The Doctor and the Girl ) or the lead's sympathetic friend (as in 1953's Invaders from Mars )... 16. Shane Johnson Actor, Saving Private Ryan While known mostly as an actor, Shane has also ventured into producing, writing and animation. Given his passion for one particular project, he taught himself how to animate and has since been developing multiple projects.

He's also ventured into scripted and reality TV as a writer/creator, striking deals with production companies and navigating the maze... 17. Dana Schweiger Actress, Knockin' on Heaven's Door 18. Edward Faulkner Actor, McLintock! Fielden Edward Faulkner II was born on Leap Year (February 29), 1932, in Lexington, Kentucky, where his father owned and operated a prominent building supply company. His mother was a retired piano and music teacher. He was the second of two children; his sister (now deceased) was nearly 19 years old when he was born... 19. James Cullen Bressack Writer, Pernicious Bursting upon the indie horror scene at the age of eighteen with his first feature My Pure Joy, James Cullen Bressack has been called "horror's new hope" (StudioCity Patch - Mike Szymanski) and "a talent to watch out for." (H.S.T.- Ben John Smith) as well as garnering rave reviews on almost every horror web site... 20. Janvi Chheda Actress, C.I.D. 33.

Tempest Storm Self, Tempest Storm A staple for many years at the El Ray Berlesk theater in Oakland, Tempest Storm had a name suiting her past. She had run away from her home in Eastman, Georgia, after surviving abuse as a child and a rape by a local gang. Ariving in Studio City, Tempest got along well, managing not only on her naturally pronounced bosom... 34. Saul Williams Actor, K-PAX Acclaimed New York-based verbal stylist, who has risen to the level of one of the foremost slam poets today. Holds a B.A. in philosophy and acting from Morehouse College, as well as a Masters in Acting from NYU. Was a staple of NYC's Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where he honed his skill, drawing from old-school hip-hop and African griot-style storytelling... 35. Yanti Somer Actress, Trinity Is STILL My Name! 38. Susan Sennett Actress, Big Bad Mama Cute, charming, and spunky blonde Susan Sennett was born on February 29, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended a charm school on Ventura Boulevard.

Sennett was a member of the arts group, Visual Girls, for two years, worked at the teenage fare, and later studied acting with Stella Adler ... 39. Richard Ramirez Actor, Anna's Eve Richard Ramirez was a drifter from Texas who ended up in Los Angeles (the serial killer capital of the world) in the early 1980s when 5 serial killers where committing crimes independent of each other. Ramirez worked as a car mechanic and did odd jobs while in Los Angeles. He was fascinated with "satanism"... 40. Louis Lettieri Actor, Hollywood Story 44. Marcia Dangerfield Actress, Footloose Marcia Dangerfield was born and raised in Indiana, the youngest of three children She graduated from Arlington High School in 1970. Her father's family hailed from Shelby County, and her mother grew up in Indianapolis. She moved to Utah in 1977, and was soon a working mother with three children. She helped to establish the Utah branch of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) in Salt Lake City... 45.

Laurien Van den Broeck Actress, The Memory of a Killer Laurien Van den Broeck was born on February 29th 1988 in Lier, Belgium. She was the third of five children. She has two older brothers: Filip and Willem van den Broeck , and two younger sisters: Charlotte and Astrid. Laurien played her first feature film role at the age of eleven: Mariken , directed by André van Duren and co-written by Academy Award winner Willeke van Ammelrooy ... 46. Dino A. De Laurentis Miscellaneous Crew, Die Hard with a Vengeance 47. Jimmy Dorsey Soundtrack, Playing by Heart Legendary saxophonist, conductor, songwriter and composer ("I'm Glad There Is You" and "Contrasts" [his theme]), educated in public schools and a cornet student of his father. Through the 1920s he was a saxophonist in orchestras including those of Paul Whiteman, Red Nichols, and the California Ramblers... 48.

Phyllis Frelich Actress, Santa Barbara Phyllis was born on Feburary 29, 1944, the oldest of 9 children. She attended North Dakota School for the Deaf, graduating in 1962. She went on to Gallaudet College (renamed Gallaudet University), actively participating in theater there. She finally made her debut on April 2, 1967, on the NBC nationwide program... 49. February 29 Proposal : snopes.com Claim: Custom allows marriage-minded gals to propose to their boyfriends on February 29. LEGEND Origins: Due to the vagaries of our calendar, every year whose number is cleanly divisible by four is a leap year, and so contains an extra day tacked onto its February. (Excepting full centuries which, to be leap years, must be divisible by 400; if not, they are common years. The year 1900, therefore, was not a leap year, but 2000 was.

Leaves one breathless, doesn't it?) Because leap years are seen as unusual events that disturb the otherwise orderly progression of days/months/years, certain beliefs have been attached to them. (One constant in the realm of folklore and superstition is that out-of-the-ordinary events are deemed to have out-of-the-ordinary consequences or properties.) Leap years, according to folk tradition, were the only times when women could propose marriage to men, with this belief often termed "The Ladies' Privilege." Yet even within this hypothesis there was disagreement as to how far it went — a great many of those who encountered this custom did not see it as applicable throughout the length of a leap year, but only to the extra day itself; that is, only to February 29. Another school of thought held that a man so entreated either had to accept the proposal or pay the refused woman a substantial forfeit for turning her down, such as a silk gown or £100. (Indeed, it was widely and erroneously reported that a Scottish Act of Parliament from the 13th Century had mandated this, or that this "agree or else" proposition had been enshrined in English Common Law.

Often this tidbit of misinformation was presented as a 1288 decree by Queen Margaret of Scotland, under which men who declined the invitation to wed were fined £100.) In another form of the belief, men who said no were not on the hook to buy expensive presents for the disappointed girls or to pay fines to the Crown, but their refusals attracted ill fortune to themselves. In yet another twist, if the gal who did the asking had failed to wear a scarlet flannel petticoat, or if a corner of the same were not partly visible under her dress, the man who declined would be spared the ill luck that a turn-down would ordinarily have propelled his way. The origins of "The Ladies' Privilege" are not definitively known, but one posited beginning set in Ireland had St. Bridget complaining to St. Patrick about women not being able to ask the men they fancied to marry them. According to the folktale, he offered the opportunity at a seven-year interval, and she bargained him down to four. (If this tale is true, it's no wonder St.

Patrick took to putting the run on snakes, because he sure wasn't doing well against women.) Though everyone loves a good folktale, the beginning of this custom more likely has to do with February 29 being perceived as a day that does not properly belong on the calendar and thus as a period when the ordinary rules of conduct do not apply. Other superstitions play upon the underlying theme of "betwixt and between" times being occasions especially fraught with peril or periods when the unusual was not only allowed to occur, but was encouraged to do so. Midnight — the time after the twelve but before the one — was viewed as an interval when the fabric drawn between the ordinary world and the realm of the spirits grew especially thin, its etherealness perhaps allowing a ghost or two to suddenly appear in our midst, or permitting one of us to be sucked into the chaos of the other side. In similar spirit, it is considered bad luck for betrothed couples to allow themselves to be photographed together since, being neither single nor married, they exist in an in-between state.

Consequently, they must take care to prevent the appearance of presumption of enduring couplehood, lest by seemingly flaunting their togetherness, they may never see it come to fruition. In earlier days of Western society, relations between the sexes were far more formal and scripted, with each gender being expected to adhere to its assigned roles. When it came to proposing marriage, men did the asking and women did the accepting or declining — the other way around would have been unthinkable. Thus a leap year reversal of this ordinary state of things would be seen as something else being turned on its ear during a period when little else made sense anyway. The U.S. has its own "women can pursue men" holiday: Sadie Hawkins Day . Named for a man-chasing female character in the Al Capp cartoon strip Li'l Abner, whose father decreed an annual footrace in her name (with the spinsters chasing the unhitched males of the town and getting to marry any they caught), the day purports to grant women the right to propose marriage to unmarried men, or at least to ask them out. Though there is no set day for this holiday, many communities celebrate it in November, some deeming it to be the Saturday closest to November 9.

Additionally, some high schools will designate one dance a year as a "Sadie Hawkins" event, meaning girls are expected to ask guys to be their dates for that event, not the other way around. Unlike in earlier times, there is now no societal prohibition against women being the ones to ask on bended knee. Custom, however, still continues to favor men doing the proposing, but its happening the other way around is no longer seen as shocking or as a challenge to the right way of things. There is a bit more to leap year lore besides girls suddenly popping up to hold out velvet-covered ring boxes to their beaux. Superstition decrees leap years are notably excellent for beginning important undertakings or business ventures. The choice of February 29 itself is deemed particularly astute in that even greater luck will attach to all that is begun on that day, including children conceived during that particular 24-hour stretch. Speaking of children, we also note that superstition says those born on February 29 are fated to be favored by Dame Fortune. Perhaps the last word on the subject of who should offer marriage to whom goes to the much-wed Zsa Zsa Gabor, who proposed to every one of her nine husbands.

"A woman has to make up a man's mind," she said. Barbara "pop goes the Leap Day Birthdays and Events The last Leap Day was on February 29, 2016 . “Leapling” Birthdays Leap day on February 29 occurs nearly every four years , but leap day babies, or leaplings, still get to celebrate their birthdays in common years . Some celebrate on February 28, some prefer March 1. When and what is Leap Day? However, many countries have laws defining which date a person born on February 29 comes of age in legal terms. For instance in New Zealand, the official birthday falls on February 28 in common years; in other countries like the United Kingdom, leap year babies have to wait until March 1. Leap Year World Records According to the Guinness Book of Records, the only verified example of a family producing three consecutive generations born on February 29 is that of the Keogh family. Peter Anthony was born in Ireland on a Leap Day in 1940, while his son, Peter Eric, was born in the UK on February 29, 1964.

Peter Eric's daughter, Bethany Wealth, was also a Leap Day baby, born in the UK on February 29, 1996. Leap Day Traditions and Superstitions The Henriksen family from Andenes, Norway currently holds the official record for the most number of children born in one family on leap day. Karin Henriksen gave birth to three children on February 29; her daughter Heidi in 1960 and her sons Olav and Leif-Martin in 1964 and 1968. Celebrity Leap Day Birthdays 1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549) 1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) (d. 1868) 1896 – Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister (d. 1995) 1968 – Wendi Louise Peters, English television and theatre character actress 1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer (d.

1994) 1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player 1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, former president of El Salvador 1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker 1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player 1972 – Saul Stacey Williams, American singer, musician, poet, writer, and actor 1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor 1976 – Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins), American rapper and actor 1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer February 29 Birthdays | Famous Birthdays February 29 Birthdays Ranked by popularity based on boosts and other user activity. © FamousBirthdays.com 2016 Leap Year 2016 February 29th - why is there an extra day every four years? - Telegraph A leap year, where an extra day is added to the end of February every four years , is down to the Gregorian calendar's disparity with the solar system.

A complete orbit of the earth around the sun takes exactly 365.2422 days to complete, but the Gregorian calendar uses 365 days. So leap seconds - and leap years - are added as means of keeping our clocks (and calendars) in sync with the Earth and its seasons. Julius Caesar vs Pope Gregory The Roman calendar used to have 355 days with an extra 22-day month every two years until Julius Caesar became emperor in the 1st Century and ordered his Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes to devise something better. Sosigenes decided on a 365-day year with an extra day every four years to incorportate the extra hours, and so February 29th was born. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar, featured here in a self-decreed minted coin, created a calendar system that added one leap day every four years. The system was tweaked, however, about 500 years later. As an earth year is not exactly 365.25 days long Pope Gregory XIII's astronomers decided to lose three days every 400 years when they introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582.

The maths has worked ever since but the system will need to be rethought in about 10,000 years' time. Perhaps mankind's robot overlords will think of something. Why does the extra day fall in February? All the other months in the Julian calendar have 30 or 31 days, but February lost out to the ego of Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. Under his predecessor Julius Caesar, Feb had 30 days and the month named after him - July - had 31. August had only 29 days. When Caesar Augustus became Emperor he added two days to 'his' month to make August the same as July. So February lost out to August in the battle of the extra days. Why does the woman propose on a leap year? Leap years are also marked as a time for women to propose to men. One theory is that the custom dates back to the 5th Century, when, legend has it, an Irish nun called St Bridget complained to St Patrick that women had to wait too long for their suitors to propose. St Patrick then supposedly gave women the chance to ask the question every four years.

Sandra Bullock proposes to Ryan Reynolds in 'The Proposal' Photo: REX The tradition is not thought to have become commonplace until the 19th Century. Then there's the theory that Queen Margaret of Scotland was behind the fabled Scottish law of 1288. The law allowed unmarried women the freedom to propose during a leap year, and the man who refused was handed a fine. The truth behind this tale is dubious at best - after all Queen Margaret was just eight years old when she died and scholars have been unable to find a record of the law. Others argue that the tradition of women proposing on this day goes back to the times when the leap year day was not recognised by English law. Under this theory, if the day had no legal status, it was acceptable to break with the convention of a man proposing. Women either have to wear breeches or a scarlet petticoat to pop the question, according to tradition. In Denmark, if a man turns down a proposal they must give the woman 12 pairs of gloves and in Finland the penalty is fabric for a skirt. According to research conducted by Beefeater, 20 per cent of women said they would like to propose to their partner.

Despite the fact that almost a third of women said they would be worried about their partner's reaction. However, more than half of men (59 per cent) would love their girlfriends to get down on one knee. To that end, the chain has created a 'Leap Year Proposal Package' should you wish to pop the question at one of its establishments. Research from The Stag Company yielded similar results, with more than half of men saying they would accept a propsal from their girlfriend, and the majority asserting that they would like to be given a ring by their partner. Yet just 15 per cent of women said they would consider proposing. Technically, a leap year isn't every four years The year 2000 was a leap year, but the years 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. There's a leap year every year that is divisible by four, except for years that are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. The added rule about centuries (versus just every four years) was an additional fix to make up for the fact that an extra day every four years is too much of a correction.

What if you're born on February 29? The chances of having a leap birthday are one in 1,461. People who are born on February 29 are referred to as "leaplings", or "leapers". In non-leap years, many leaplings choose to celebrate their birthday on either February 28 or March 1, while purists stick to February 29 for the occasion. Some suggest those born before midday on February 29 should celebrate their birthdays on February 28, while those born in the afternoon and evening of the 28th should celebrate their special day on March 1 (St David's Day). About 4.1 million people around the world have been born on the 29th. Pisces is the zodiac sign of a person born on February 29, and amethyst is the birthstone for this month. Are you celebrating a birthday on February 29th? Majestic Wine is offering a free bottle of champagne (to those who buy six bottles). (We gather the offer is open to those over 18 and not just 72-year-olds as you might imagine...) Born on the 29th February?

Buy six bottles of wine from us this weekend and we'll give you a bottle of Veuve on us! pic.twitter.com/KVQD4vU4ZL — Majestic Wine (@majesticwine) February 25, 2016 Famous people born on a leap day The chances of having a birthday on a leap day are extremely slim - the odds are one in 1,461 to be exact - and there's quite an eclectic mix of famous people born on the day. Sir Dave Brailsford has transformed Britain's cycling fortunes Photo: GETTY IMAGES John Byrom - poet Pope Paul III - 16th Century pontiff George Bridgetower - 19th Century musician Ann Lee - leader of the Shakers Gioacchino Rossini - Italian composer Sir Dave Brailsford - English cyclist and coach Tony Robbins - Motivational speaker Darren Ambrose - English footballer Ja Rule - rapper Damn I thought I was the most famous leap year baby but pope Paul the third might have me beat lol... It's not - but there is a campaign to make February 29 a work-free day. Workers have realised that every leap year, they have to work one extra day for no extra pay.

If a person earns the national average salary of £26,500 a year, that works out at £2,208.33 per monthly payslip – which breaks down to £71.24 per day in a 31-day month but a daily wage of £78.87 in February. This realisation prompted a a high school teacher from Maryland called Karl Savage to try and kickstart the “No Work on Leap Day Revolution” in 2008, when the extra day fell on a Friday. What is a leap second? Leap years are not directly connected to leap seconds, but both are for the purpose of keeping the earth's rotations in line with our clocks and calendars. Leap seconds are added to bring the earth's rotation into line with atomic time. A leap second was added at the end of June last year, when immediately before midnight dials read 11:59:60. Atomic time is constant, but the Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing down by around two thousandths of a second per day.

Leap seconds are crucial to ensuring the time we use does not drift away from time based on the Earth's spin Photo: ALAMY Leap seconds are therefore crucial to ensuring the time we use does not drift away from time based on the Earth's spin. If left unchecked, this would eventually result in clocks showing the middle of the day occurring at night. The extra second can sometimes cause problems for some networks which rely on exact timings. When a last leap second was added in 2012 Mozilla, Reddit, Foursquare, Yelp, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon all reported crashes and there were problems with the Linux operating system and programmes written in Java. Other calendars require leap years The modern Iranian calendar is a solar calendar with eight leap days inserted into a 33-year cycle. The Indian National Calendar and the Revised Bangla Calendar of Bangladesh arrange their leap years so that the leap day is always close to February 29 in the Gregorian calendar. On this day in... What other major events have happened on February 29th? In 1996, the siege of Sarajevo was lifted after almost four years. In 1984, Pierre Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister of Canada.

In 1964, the Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, gave birth to a son, James Ogilvy. In 1960, thousands died as an earthquake devastated Agadir, Morocco. In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first black person to win an Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind. The leap year on stage and screen The plot of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance revolves around a character, Frederic, who was born on February 29. Frederic is due to be released from his apprenticeship with a band of pirates on his 21st birthday. However, he realises that because he only has a birthday once every four years, he must remain an apprentice and serve another 63 years before he can join Mabel, his one true love. She agrees to wait for him faithfully until that day. The 2010 romantic comedy Leap Year, starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode and Adam Scott, tells the story of an uptight decorator who travels from the United States to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend. However she faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her plans.

The film was described by The Telegraph's Tim Robey as "abysmal" . Even Matthew Goode, one of the films stars, said: "It’s turgid. I just know that there are a lot of people who will say it is the worst film of 2010." Leap year recipes There are no specific recipes for leap years, but how about cooking up some frogs' legs? Although not popular in Britain, the French eat about 4,000 tons of frogs’ legs a year, equivalent to 60-80 million frogs. Since edible frogs are now a protected species in France, frogs’ legs are imported from Indonesia. Alternatively, these four recipes have a link to frogs, the number four and leap year traditions. Four leap year recipes The leap year capital of the world The city of Anthony which straddles Texas and New Mexico in the US, is the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the World. A four-day leap year festival is held there each leap year that includes a huge birthday party for all leap year babies. Festivities begin on February 25 and continue until February 29, when there is a parade followed by a birthday dinner.

Leap year proverbs Will 2016 prove a bad year for sheep? Photo: Alamy In Scotland, a leap year is thought to be bad for livestock. This is why the Scottish sometimes say, "Leap year was ne’er a good sheep year." In Italy, where they say "anno bisesto, anno funesto" (which means leap year, doom year), there are warnings against planning special activities such as weddings. The reason? "Anno bisesto tutte le donne senza sesto" which means "In a leap year, women are erratic." Facts about leap years Preparations for the Rio Olympics are well underway Photo: AFP The Summer Olympic Games are always held in a leap year. This year, they take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. US presidential elections are held every four years, in a leap year. In Greece couples often avoid getting married in a leap year, believing it to be bad luck Food for thought: If you work on a fixed annual wage, today is just one more day's work than you would usually have to do for your salary. As touched on above, a year that is divisible by 100, but not by 400, is not technically a leap year.

Therefore 2000 was a leap year under the Gregorian calendar, as was 1600. But 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. "There's a good reason behind it," Ian Stewart, emeritus professor of mathematics, told the BBC. "The year is 365 days and a quarter long - but not exactly. If it was exactly, then you could say it was every four years." Pope Gregory and his astronomers' solution will have to be rethought in around 10,000 years, Prof Stewart points out. February 29 also marks Rare Disease Day. Leap years are also known as intercalary or bissextile years. Google have done a doodle! leapyearday.com | Leap Year Day Issues Mostly it's a pleasure to be born on Leap Day, but we have collected stories here of some of the annoyances that can start the moment somebody is born. Some parents are asked to consider falsifying the birth record, and some parents are given no choice but to falsify the record!

Sometimes children are teased about their birthday, and when they are old enough to drive, there could be a problem with driver registration. There are birthdate related computer issues, and Leap Day related computer bugs. Still -- we would choose no other day to be born. Leap Day Parties & Events Leap Year Day, February 29th, 2016 is getting close! We try to include everybody's events on our international events list. You'll find both birthday party events, and events that celebrate the extra day in general. Please let us know of Leap Year and Leap Year Day events that we can add to the list. Thank you. Leapified Books We've compiled a list of books that are either entirely Leap themed, or have somehow incorporated Leap Day into the story. Some of these books you can buy at amazon.com, so consider buying from the amazon carousel below, or ask your local book store or do a search online. If you can, get an extra copy to give to a school or library. They really need these books! Leap Year Nearly Every four years Last leap day was February 29, 2016 . Why Add Leap Years?

Leap years are needed to keep our modern day Gregorian calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242189 days – or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds – to circle once around the Sun. This is called a tropical year , and is measured from the March equinox . However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a leap day on February 29 nearly every four years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After only 100 years, our calendar would be off by around 24 days! Is There a Perfect Calendar? Exactly Which Years Are Leap Years? We add a Leap Day on February 29 , almost every four years. The leap day is an extra, or intercalary, day and we add it to the shortest month of the year, February .

In the Gregorian calendar three criteria must be taken into account to identify leap years: The year can be evenly divided by 4; If the year can be evenly divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless; The year is also evenly divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year. This means that in the Gregorian calendar, the years 2000 and 2400 are leap years, while 1800 , 1900 , 2100 , 2200 , 2300 and 2500 are NOT leap years. Special Leap Year 2000 The year 2000 was somewhat special as it was the first instance when the third criterion was used in most parts of the world since the transition from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar. Julius Caesar introduced leap years. Roman general Julius Caesar first introduced leap years. ©bigstockphoto.com Who Invented Leap Years? Roman general Julius Caesar introduced the first leap years over 2000 years ago. But the Julian calendar had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by four would be a leap year.

This formula produced way too many leap years, but was not corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar more than 1500 years later. Leap Months The ancient Roman Calendar added an extra month every few years to maintain the correct seasonal changes, similar to the Chinese leap month .

Question: What is the name given to the 29th of February
Answer: Leap Day